Washington, DC - In collaboration with the White House Conference on Aging, Go4Life, the national exercise and physical activity campaign for people 50-plus from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is bringing together more than a hundred federal, state and local partners to encourage older adults to move more and stay active for better health with advancing age.
In September, the campaign will celebrate Go4Life Month with the theme of “Be Active Every Day!” Campaign partners across America will mark the month by increasing awareness and sponsoring activities that engage community members, of all ages, in exercise and physical activities they enjoy. This community focus of Go4Life Month, the NIA hopes, will help expand the reach of the campaign so that increasing numbers of older adults can reap the benefits of exercise and physical activity.
Go4Life is based on research showing that exercise can help prevent many of the chronic conditions and disability associated with aging. Despite the growing list of benefits of exercise for people of all ages, U.S. adults tend to become less active as they age. Go4Life helps by providing information and motivational tools to help older adults increase their physical activity and by working with local and national organizations to provide an environment that supports these efforts.
“It’s never too late for exercise to have a positive effect on your health,” said NIA Director Richard J. Hodes, M.D. “We know that exercise can reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity, stroke, diabetes and other chronic conditions. One recent study found that even sedentary people in their 70s and 80s improved mobility and reduced risk of disability through a regular program of structured physical activity.”
“The establishment of Go4Life Month will help draw attention to the critical importance of exercise with age and the resources that we can provide to support adults who want to do more,” Hodes said.
Organizations that have already committed to activities in September include:
- Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
- Administration for Community Living
- President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition
- American Library Association
- Dogtown Community Health/ Coastline Community Health of Santa Monica, CA
- Erickson Living
- Generations United
- Independent Grocers Alliance
- International Council on Active Aging
- JCC Association of North America
- Montgomery County Maryland Department of Recreation
- National Association of States United for Aging and Disability
- National Council on Aging
- OASIS
- Sunrise Senior Living
- YMCA of the USA
The NIA also wants to recognize support of Go4Life by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which, through the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, is funding activities and educational materials to support Go4Life Month and the ongoing campaign.
The heart of the Go4Life campaign is an interactive website – https://go4life.nia.nih.gov –with sample exercises, success stories, and free materials to motivate the growing numbers of baby boomers—and their parents—to get ready, start exercising and keep going to improve their health and achieve a better quality of life.
For a list of activities planned thus far for Go4Life Month, go to https://go4life.nia.nih.gov/event-list. To learn more about becoming a Go4Life partner, go to https://go4life.nia.nih.gov/partner.
For more information, go to http://go4life.nia.nih.gov. For more information on healthy aging, go to http://www.nia.nih.gov/.
About the White House Conference on Aging: The 2015 White House Conference on Aging is looking ahead to the issues that will help shape the landscape for older Americans for the next decade. Healthy aging is one of the cornerstones of the Conference and will be all the more important as America grows older. http://www.whitehouseconferenceonaging.gov.
About the National Institute on Aging: The NIA leads the federal government effort conducting and supporting research on aging and the health and well-being of older people. The Institute’s broad scientific program seeks to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life. For more information on research, aging, and health, go to https://www.nia.nih.gov.
